Testimonials

The Nature Conservancy works to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Rural Resource Coalition SC presents a tremendous opportunity for us to build lasting relationships with new partners. By working together we can advance our shared vision for thriving rural communities, which are building wealth from within and sustaining healthy natural resources.

Mark Robertson
Executive Director
The Nature Conservancy – SC

The SC Forestry Commission is participating in RRC activities because its mission of protecting and developing the forest resources of the state meshes well with the RRC mission of improving quality of life through natural and human resources. Such public/private partnerships can be very effective in ensuring mission accomplishment for both entities. In addition, South Carolina is two-thirds forested, and rural communities are embedded throughout that landscape. With forestry being the #1 manufacturing segment with regard to jobs and wages and also a driver of environmental and societal quality, it has a key role in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life that RRC also hopes to improve.

Henry E. (Gene) Kodama
SC State Forester

The ACE Basin Task Force has always believed the best way to preserve open space is to protect historic land uses such as farming, timber, and tourism/recreation. Leveraging the talents of the rural population with sustainable uses will create a wealthy rural economy that will protect rural SC from the ravages of urban sprawl.

Charles Lane
ACE Basin Task Force

The Rural Resource Coalition SC brought an unlikely group together for the development of rural South Carolina. Through collaboration, we found a commonality of strengths that allows us to achieve more.

Jack Shuler
President
Palmetto AgriBusiness Council

Like a chain, South Carolina is only as strong as its least secure link, and until the rural communities reach parity in economic terms and quality of life, we should not accept the status quo. The Rural Resource Coalition SC provides a framework for rural communities throughout the state to work together on solving common challenges and making South Carolina a stronger and better place to live, work and play.

Ben Gregg
Executive Director
South Carolina Wildlife Federation

High quality results take time. In the case of the new, Rural Resources Coalition SC, “grass roots and grass tops” leaders from across SC met regularly for 26 months. In the process, we actually created and spun-off another robust org that wanted to focus on just major industry clusters.

Coalitions in these times are wide and inclusive. More moving parts than we would accept under normal conditions. The advantage is that our signature is “Rural Resources”, assets right under-foot, of which, all exhibit rational upside potential for creating local jobs you cannot export. Sectors that deliver a third of our economy, yet, receive less than 1% of the legislature general fund.

The next challenge is to bench mark our current economic impact and devise a few home run projects that will, with certainty, create incremental economic results with measurable ROI to SC citizens. We invite your community, organization, town or county to join us.

Patrick Mason
Co-Founder
Center For Carolina Living

The LHT is participating in the RRC SC because our missions are mutual in that we both serve South Carolina’s human resources by improving the quality of life of its citizens through building vibrant, sustainable communities and acting as a catalyst to meet the fundamental needs of underserved neighborhoods. This widely diverse coalition works because its members came together for the express purpose of furthering the sustainability of the human and natural resources of rural South Carolina. The RRC will be that important voice for rural South Carolina as it strives to achieve economic parity within our state.